The international investigative journalism project Dubai Unlocked, in which Zamaneh Media played an active role, has been shortlisted for the 2025 Sigma Awards — a prestigious global prize recognizing excellence in data journalism.
On Friday, May 9, 2025, Dubai Unlocked was officially announced as one of the 50 finalists out of nearly 500 entries submitted from dozens of countries. The Sigma Awards are hosted annually by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), highlighting the world’s most outstanding data-driven journalism projects. This year, 19 international experts served on the jury to select the finalists.
Previously, in March 2025, Dubai Unlocked and its media partners also won the Best in Business Award in economic journalism, granted by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW).
The winners of the 2025 Sigma Awards will be announced between May 19 and 23.
Dubai Unlocked is a groundbreaking cross-border investigation into property ownership in Dubai, exposing the networks of wealth, corruption, and offshore secrecy that have flourished in the city. The investigation reveals how Dubai’s luxury real estate market has become a haven not only for global elites but also for politically exposed persons, sanctioned individuals, and fugitives accused of financial or criminal misconduct.
The project, carried out by over 70 media organizations worldwide, unveils the hidden assets of hundreds of individuals with questionable financial or political backgrounds. Dubai’s appeal as a glamorous Gulf hub — with luxury shopping, beachfront clubs, and a skyline of supertall towers — masks its darker role as a global shelter for illicit wealth.
Zamaneh Media contributed to the publication of this investigative series, which offers rare insight into how one of the world’s most secretive real estate markets operates behind the scenes.
